Wireless Technologies
and serves as the backbone of the Z-Wave Alliance’s success.
The Alliance focuses on certifying
Z-Wave product interoperability
and on expanding marketing opportunities
for members.
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
Wi-Fi is built on the IEEE 802.11
specification for local area networks.
It primarily addresses the
need for higher-bandwidth IP
networks in homes and businesses.
Like many wireless IoT
technologies, Wi-Fi operates in
the 2.4 GHz frequency band. It
also recently extended support
to the 5 GHz band to address the
challenges of achieving higher
data rates and avoiding interference from other licensed 2.4
GHz technologies.
Major Wi-Fi considerations include IP networking, bandwidth
and power. Because they’re typically geared for high bandwidth,
Figure 4: Multiprotocol connectivity opens up new use
capabilities and use cases for the IoT.
high power usage and complex supporting software,
Wi-Fi-based designs tend to be more expensive than other IoT
technologies. Wi-Fi requires larger, more sophisticated RF components
and more embedded computing resources for network
processing. However, you get what you pay for, which is why
Wi-Fi is the dominant player when you need data rates beyond
10 Mbps and direct access to the internet.
Looking ahead, we can expect Wi-Fi to continue to evolve
with the IoT, which will likely mean lower power-consumption,
faster speeds and combined hardware/software solutions for
coexistence in the 2.4 GHz band (with Bluetooth and 802.15.4)
and the 5 GHz band (with cellular).
Proprietary Sub-GHz
For low-data-rate applications such as industrial sensing,
sub-GHz networks operating at frequencies below 1 GHz offer
some benefits over more-powerful, feature-rich 2.4 GHz
protocols. Range is the primary area where sub-GHz networks
shine. Narrowband transmissions can operate uninterrupted for
a kilometer or more, transmitting data to distant hubs without
the need for more complex
mesh software implementations
to hop from node to node.
The sub-GHz band is also less
crowded than ISM 2.4 GHz.
That said, in some regions
there are limited sub-GHz channels
available, which prevents
developers from producing a
single-architecture global solution.
A related drawback is that
sub-GHz airwave regulations
differ by country, and duty cycle
restrictions may actually limit
the application’s transmission
time.
Overall, sub-GHz networks win when it comes to range, but
lack the standardization of the 2.4 GHz protocols we previously
mentioned.
Multiprotocol Connectivity
As a result of combined hardware and software engineering
efforts throughout the industry, we’ve seen a rapid rise of wireless
MCUs and SoCs capable of supporting multiple wireless
protocols. These multiprotocol devices open up new IoT capabilities,
such as simplified device commissioning and Bluetooth
beaconing while on other networks.
Multiprotocol SoCs also enable over-the-air (OTA) updates to
deployed devices, drawing on the convenience of smartphones
or tablets, and provide a simple means to add newer protocols
such as Bluetooth LE to products with legacy proprietary
protocols.
Advanced multiprotocol, multi-band SoCs from a number of
suppliers are now providing greater flexibility and design options
for developers seeking to add wireless connectivity, while
simplifying their end-node designs.
https://www.silabs.com
CEVA acquires Hillcrest Labs intelligent
sensor technologies
CEVA has acquired Hillcrest Laboratories,
Inc. (Hillcrest Labs) business from InterDigital,
Inc. Hillcrest Labs supplies software and
components for sensor processing.
Hillcrest Labs has over 15 years’ experience
in sensor processing and has shipped
more than 100 million devices. The company
is a leading innovator in data fusion from
multiple sensors in intelligent systems. The
resulting algorithms and software enable
sensors and end user products to provide
contextual awareness and a better user
experience. Hillcrest Labs’ MotionEngine software supports a
broad range sensors and is licensed to companies that wish
to run the software on CEVA DSPs, or a variety of RISC CPUs,
including Arm Cortex-M and A series and RISC-V based cores.
MotionEngine software will expand and complement CEVA’s
smart sensing technology, which includes
computer vision and AI processing for
cameras and sound processing for microphones.
CEVA DSP licensees will now
be able use CEVA as a one-stop-shop for
processing all classes and types of sensors.
The Hillcrest Labs software technology
will also widen CEVA’s software licensing
engagements directly with OEMs and
ODMs to them to employ a royalty payment
scheme based on devices rather than
chips.
Further details of the transaction and related
financial information will be disclosed in CEVA’s Q2 2019
earnings conference call on August 8, 2019.
CEVA
www.ceva-dsp.com/app/motion-sensing/
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